ICEMAN Johan Mjallby works hard to keep his emotions in check – because there’s already enough passion on show from his gaffer Neil Lennon.

The big Swede admits he knows his place – but that won’t stop him speaking his mind.

And his cool persona still cracks when the Celtic defence lose a daft goal. There are some things the former Hoops stopper can’t keep in check.

Mjallby’s stature has grown in the past three years, from a nervous coach into a commanding figure at the club.

Lennon describes his right-hand man as loyal and analytical – and Mjallby adds “pragmatic, private and grumpy” to the list of adjectives.

He admits he’s still glad of the day Lennon gave him a call – and says he is learning every day.

He said: “I hoped the call would come from Neil. When he did, he gave me a minute to think about it. It was a no-brainer.

“When we were in interim charge we won all eight league games – and that was probably why we got the chance to kick on. It’s been a rollercoaster since.

“I’m more confident in everything I do. There are so many hours to put in, so much thinking to do. It can be mentally tiring.

“I’ve calmed down. I don’t get as angry although I still lose my temper – especially if the defence don’t do their jobs properly.

“It’s enough to have one very passionate guy – the manager. I know what is required to be a good assistant. My job is not to show my emotions. I need to stay focused,otherwise I’m no help to Neil. But I do speak my mind.

“Mostly we see things similarly. We work well together. Hey, maybe tomorrow Neil will tell me to pack my bags!

“I haven’t set my sights on being a manager. I’m learning so much from Neil. He gives me lots of responsibility when it comes to the defensive side of things.

“The most important thing is to know my place. But I will always be opinionated because Neil doesn’t want ‘yes men’. He encourages debate.”

The pair will discuss long and hard over the next 48 hours how to set out the side in their crunch Champions League clash with Juventus in Turin.

Celtic are 3-0 down from the first leg and face an almost impossible task but Mjallby isn’t writing it off completely.

But he hopes Juve aren’t allowed to get away with the same tactics they deployed at set-pieces at Parkhead.

He said: “I like to dissect our games. On the night of the Juve game I could not sleep. I sat up and watched the game on DVD.

“The way the Italians defended was wrong. The only way the game will get rid of it is if we have brave referees.

“I’ve never asked our players to do that. I never had to do it as a player. I tried to get body contact, but I’d never wrestle.

“For the first hour at Celtic Park we played really good football. We had Juve on the back foot after we settled down from losing that shock opening goal. The players showed great courage. Now we face a huge task. But we beat Barcelona 2-1 and thebiggest one for me was beating Spartak Moscow away. We showed a great mentality. It was a huge turning point.

“We have to believe we can get the first goal in Turin. And, let me dream a wee bit, if we go two up they will get nervous.

“The run in Europe has been great. We are rightly proud of what we’ve done.

“The team are a great bunch and a pleasure to work with. The challenge now is to bring in younger players and develop them to be replacements when some of the guys decide to move on.”

There will come a time when the Celtic board need to replace Lennon and his backroom staff. They, too, will outgrow the Scottish domestic game.

Last season Lennon almost quit when things weren’t going to plan on the park and his life was hell off it.

Mjallby said: “When we were 15 points behind it made us question if we were doing the right thing. It is like when you are a father, and you question how you are dealing with your kids.

“Neil showed great strength. He was a great leader throughout it all. We stuck to our guns and got our rewards.”

With the hard work, Mjallby has developed a great capacity to relax. He said: “I’m a bit of a lone wolf.

“I like my own privacy and can also be grumpy.

“I’ll enjoy the summer break, spend some time playing golf. It’s important for guys such as Neil, and other top managers, to relax, otherwise you will have a meltdown one day.”